title: Frequency of melanocytic nevi in psoriatic patients is related to treatment and not to disease severity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few data exist on the relationship between psoriasis and melanocytic lesions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We sought to investigate number of melanocytic nevi in psoriatic patients compared with control subjects and its relationship with disease severity and treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a prospective study in 189 psoriatic patients and 189 control subjects. Sociodemographic and clinical data were recorded for all participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As compared with control subjects, patients had fewer nevi overall [χ(2)(5) = 52.24, P < .001], fewer nevi less than 5 mm [χ(2)(4) = 60.28, P < .001], and fewer congenital nevi [χ(2)(1) = 10.41, P = .002]; no differences in atypical nevi and family history of cancer, including melanoma, were observed. Among psoriatic patients, number of biologics used was a risk factor for a higher nevus count [odds ratio 1.35 (95% CI 1.04-1.76), P = .02] whereas disease severity did not correlate with number of nevi.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low number of psoriatic patients naïve to systemic therapies was a limitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psoriatic patients have fewer nevi than control subjects. Frequency of nevi in psoriatic patients is related to treatment, not to disease severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology at University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Cesare
authors.forename: Assunta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riitano
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suppa
authors.forename: Rosaria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fidanza
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zangrilli
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Maria Concetta
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fargnoli
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chimenti
authors.forename: Ketty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Peris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009508:Nevus, Pigmented / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: IL; OR; TNF; biologic agents; interleukin; melanocytic nevi; melanoma; nevus count; odds ratio; psoriasis; treatment; tumor necrosis factor